FIVE
"Your son?" questioned Phoebe.
"Yes," said Marie, "my son. Surely you knew he was only half demon. It was common knowledge."
"Yes, I knew," said Phoebe.
"He was a great demon," said Marie. "Very powerful. There were few who could stand against him. Then he met you. You corrupted him. I warned him not to become involved with a human.
"But he wouldn't listen to me. When he destroyed the Triad, I was made to pay for his crime. I was banished by the Source to the outer realms where the dishonored and disgraced go. Vanquishing was too good for me.
"Even among the outcasts I was an outcast. The mother of the demon who betrayed the Source and joined the Charmed Ones. Because of the love you instilled in him. Because of the corruption you brought to him.
"But you and your sisters vanquished the Source and Belthazor took his place. After that, I was no longer dishonored. I was the mother of the Source. I couldn't be allowed to live in disgrace. Then you turned on him. Rejected the love he offered you. Rejected what you had turned him into. But that wasn't enough for you. You had to destroy him."
"There was no other choice," said Phoebe. "Like I said, he tried to kill my sisters. I had to vanquish him to protect them."
"No, you didn't," Marie spat out. "You could have joined him. You could have ruled the underworld with him. If you had joined him there would have been no need to harm your sisters."
"I couldn't do that," said Phoebe. "I'm a Charmed One. My place is to fight evil, not join it. When Cole became the Source, he became evil again. The Cole Turner I fell in love with no longer existed. He became just another demon."
"He was my son," shouted Marie. "He was far more than just another demon. You corrupted him and then you turned your back on him. If not for you, he would never have turned his back on his destiny."
"And we would have vanquished him earlier," said Phoebe. "He was originally sent to kill us. We were ready to vanquish him."
"Then you should have done it," said Marie. "At least then he would have died in combat. But you had to twist him. Change him from what he was born as. And then you stabbed him in the back."
"I know how you feel," said Phoebe. "I lost a child too, remember? A child I didn't even get the chance to know. But this won't change anything. It won't bring Cole back. It won't solve anything."
"Don't you think I know that?" asked Marie. "I know I can't bring him back. Nothing can do that. But it will give me satisfaction. Satisfaction to know that before you die, I will make you suffer as you made him suffer. As you've made me suffer.
"Do you think I'm interested in justice for my son? I care nothing for justice. Justice is a human concept. I want vengeance. I want to know that you have suffered as no human has ever suffered.
"This has nothing to do with the battle between good and evil. It doesn't even have anything to do with the Charmed Ones. It has to do with you. The woman who murdered my son. The woman who is going to pay for that murder. Pay dearly."
Even through the anger and hatred in Marie's eyes, Phoebe could see the pain. The pain of a mother loosing her child. Phoebe had never believed a demon could feel that way. Even about one of their offspring.
But Marie had lived as a human for a long time. Maybe that had helped to instill in her some of the same maternal instincts as a human mother. And also the feelings to protect; or avenge; the child as any human mother would. Feelings that Phoebe would now experience the results of first hand.
"Your son?" questioned Phoebe.
"Yes," said Marie, "my son. Surely you knew he was only half demon. It was common knowledge."
"Yes, I knew," said Phoebe.
"He was a great demon," said Marie. "Very powerful. There were few who could stand against him. Then he met you. You corrupted him. I warned him not to become involved with a human.
"But he wouldn't listen to me. When he destroyed the Triad, I was made to pay for his crime. I was banished by the Source to the outer realms where the dishonored and disgraced go. Vanquishing was too good for me.
"Even among the outcasts I was an outcast. The mother of the demon who betrayed the Source and joined the Charmed Ones. Because of the love you instilled in him. Because of the corruption you brought to him.
"But you and your sisters vanquished the Source and Belthazor took his place. After that, I was no longer dishonored. I was the mother of the Source. I couldn't be allowed to live in disgrace. Then you turned on him. Rejected the love he offered you. Rejected what you had turned him into. But that wasn't enough for you. You had to destroy him."
"There was no other choice," said Phoebe. "Like I said, he tried to kill my sisters. I had to vanquish him to protect them."
"No, you didn't," Marie spat out. "You could have joined him. You could have ruled the underworld with him. If you had joined him there would have been no need to harm your sisters."
"I couldn't do that," said Phoebe. "I'm a Charmed One. My place is to fight evil, not join it. When Cole became the Source, he became evil again. The Cole Turner I fell in love with no longer existed. He became just another demon."
"He was my son," shouted Marie. "He was far more than just another demon. You corrupted him and then you turned your back on him. If not for you, he would never have turned his back on his destiny."
"And we would have vanquished him earlier," said Phoebe. "He was originally sent to kill us. We were ready to vanquish him."
"Then you should have done it," said Marie. "At least then he would have died in combat. But you had to twist him. Change him from what he was born as. And then you stabbed him in the back."
"I know how you feel," said Phoebe. "I lost a child too, remember? A child I didn't even get the chance to know. But this won't change anything. It won't bring Cole back. It won't solve anything."
"Don't you think I know that?" asked Marie. "I know I can't bring him back. Nothing can do that. But it will give me satisfaction. Satisfaction to know that before you die, I will make you suffer as you made him suffer. As you've made me suffer.
"Do you think I'm interested in justice for my son? I care nothing for justice. Justice is a human concept. I want vengeance. I want to know that you have suffered as no human has ever suffered.
"This has nothing to do with the battle between good and evil. It doesn't even have anything to do with the Charmed Ones. It has to do with you. The woman who murdered my son. The woman who is going to pay for that murder. Pay dearly."
Even through the anger and hatred in Marie's eyes, Phoebe could see the pain. The pain of a mother loosing her child. Phoebe had never believed a demon could feel that way. Even about one of their offspring.
But Marie had lived as a human for a long time. Maybe that had helped to instill in her some of the same maternal instincts as a human mother. And also the feelings to protect; or avenge; the child as any human mother would. Feelings that Phoebe would now experience the results of first hand.